The highly anticipated animated series will be available February 15 on Disney+, following the February 10 premiere on Disney Channel. In Akhenaten's new religion, this figure generally came to be represented as a sun disk and is best understood as the light produced by the sun itself. Omissions? World History Encyclopedia. His son Tutankhamun (ruled ca. It was only through them that the Aten could be worshipped: they were both priests and gods. Yet no other pharaohsave perhaps his son . Akhenaten and the Royal Family Blessed by AtenTroels Myrup (CC BY-NC-ND). Indeed, Amenhotep IV took his father's predilection for the Egyptian sun god, Aten, to new heights. The Amarna Letters preserve an inside look at Egyptian diplomacy, revealing how power brokers maneuvered, alliances were forged, and pharaohs were flattered. Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Pharaoh Akhenaten. ruled an Egyptian empire, extending into Syria, Palestine and the Sudan . He built an entirely new capital, Amarna, some 200 miles north of the Egyptian capital of Thebes and ordered the relocation. Aten was the life-giving and life-sustaining power of the sun. 1379-1336 BCE) was one of the last pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom Egypt, who is known for briefly establishing monotheism in the country.Akhenaten drastically revised the religious and political structure of Egypt, developed new art and architectural styles, and generally caused great chaos during the Middle Bronze Age. Amenhotep IV succeeded his father after Amenhotep III's death at the end of a 38-year reign, possibly after a co-regency between the two for up to 12 years. Reign: 1350 - 1334 BC. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Hatshepsut and her successors, such as Tuthmosis III (1458-1425 BCE), employed a balanced approach of diplomacy and military action in dealing with foreign nations; Akhenaten chose simply to largely ignore what happened beyond the borders of Egypt and, it seems, most things outside of his palace at Akhetaten. World History Encyclopedia. Note: Akhenaten is distinguished from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in the Legion of the Unliving. After the first 5 normal years of his reign Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten meaning 'living spirit of Aten'. https://www.thoughtco.com/akhenaten-4769554 (accessed January 18, 2023). That same year Akhenaten moved his capital to a new site some 200 miles (300 km) north of Thebes. Things took a turn for the worse for Akhenaten when he held a massive celebration in the 12th year of his reign dedicated to Aten. In one of the surrounding walls was cut the "Window of Appearances," where Akhenaten and Nefertiti could be seen by his people. Percy lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but found his life uprooted upon discovering his true paternity.He has black hair and sea-green eyes. Akhenatens new approach to religion manifested itself in other facets of Egyptian culture, most notably the artistic sphere. Dr. Doom learned Akhenaten's origins, and traveled back in time to slay him before he gained power, but Akhenaten anticipated this and foiled him. Whereas his father, Amenhotep III, had sought to reduce the increasing power of the priesthood, Akhenaton practically dismantled it. Updates? ThoughtCo. Akhenaten is viewed as one of the most controversial Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. However, one pharaoh tried to overthrow these gods and replace them with his own system. This can also be explained as stemming from Akhenaten's religious beliefs in that the Aten, not the pharaoh, was the most important consideration, and under the influence of the Aten's love and grace, the pharaoh and his family thrives. Amarna Letter from Burna-Buriash II to Amenhotep III, Akhenaten and the Royal Family Blessed by Aten. Wood engraving, published in 1879. Corrections? in history and taught university and high school history. HSC Ancient History: Exam Prep & Syllabus, Ramses II: Facts, Accomplishments & Death, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii & Herculaneum, Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses: Names & Family Tree, Egyptian Pharaohs: History, Facts & Timeline, Queen Hatshepsut: Facts, Accomplishments & Death, Queen Hatshepsut & Ramses the Great of Egypt, The Reign of Akhenaten: Accomplishments & Contributions, Egypt's Abu Simbel & The Mortuary Temples, Israel & Judah from Solomon to the Fall of Jerusalem, 4th Century Greece Till the Death of Philip II of Macedon, High School US History: Homework Help Resource, CLEP Western Civilization I: Study Guide & Test Prep, GED Social Studies: Civics & Government, US History, Economics, Geography & World, Western Civilization I: Certificate Program, High School World History: Tutoring Solution, Who is the Greek Goddess Aphrodite? and 1335 B.C. Among other things, these state that if he were to die outside of his home city, his body should be brought back and buried in the tomb that was being prepared for him in the eastern cliffs. During the reign of the New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep IV, also called Akhenaten, the art of ancient Egypt underwent a considerable change. Brought up in the palace, he would likely have been assigned retainers to educate him. Scholars have argued in favor of monotheism, henotheism, agnosticism and almost everything in between. Akhenaten, also spelled Akhenaton, Akhnaton, or Ikhnaton, also called Amenhotep IV, Greek Amenophis, king (135336 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the suns disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning beneficial to Aton). Ultimately, Akhenaten 's contribution to Egyptian religion was a failure; his transformation of religion, while initially successful, proved too radical for the Egyptian population show more content. In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amon Is Content") to Akhenaten ("Beneficial to Aton"). Akhenaten sought to impose upon Egypt and its people the worship of a single godthe sun godand in so doing changed the country in every way. The pharaoh as a servant of the gods, and identified with a certain god (most often Horus), was common practice in ancient Egyptian culture, but no one before Akhenaten had proclaimed himself an actual god incarnate. In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amun is Pleased") to Akhenaten, or "Servant of the Aten" thus formally declaring his new religion. Akhenaton started his reign as most Egyptian kings. After a brutal reign of 17 years, Akhenaten died and his successorwho may have been Nefertitiimmediately but slowly began dismantling the physical elements of Akhenaten's religion. Akhenaten's obsession did not outlast his death, and after he died in 1336 B.C.E. As a god, he seems to have felt that the affairs of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to his responsibilities. There is no doubt that his attention to this problem served the interests of the state but, as other similar issues were ignored, it seems that he only chose those situations which interested him personally. The New Kingdom (c. 1570- c.1069 BCE) is the era in Egyptian history Nefertiti (c. 1370 - c. 1336 BCE) was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten Ankhsenamun (born c. 1350 BCE and known as Ankhesenpaaten in youth Amun (also Amon, Ammon, Amen, Amun-Ra) is the ancient Egyptian Tutankhamun (also known as Tutankhamen and `King Tut', r. c.1336-c.1327 Moses the Egyptian: The Memory of Egypt in Western Monotheism, Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The imperial elegance of Egypt was supreme. It should be noted, however, that this is a point hotly debated among scholars, as is the whole of the so-called Amarna Period of Akhenaten's rule. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. He has inherited special abilities from Poseidon which include the ability to control water, boats, and ships; to create small hurricanes; to . Hirst, K. Kris. The historian Durant, for example, writes that Akhenaten's reforms were "the first out-standing expression of monotheism - seven hundred years before Isaiah [of the Bible] and an astounding advance upon the old tribal deities" (210). ), Unlock the world of Marvel Digital Comics! Occupation: Pharaoh of Egypt Born: Around 1380 BC Died: 1336 BC Reign: 1353 BC to 1336 BC Best known for: Changing the religion of Ancient Egypt and building the city of Amarna Biography: Akhenaten was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. According to Egyptian Mythology he descended from the gods who arrived on Earth at the time of Tep Zepi and until today, people still believe that this Pharaoh did, in fact, come from the Stars. 13521336 B.C. Akhenaten: The Mysteries of Religious Revolution, The face of Akhenaten, with characteristic exaggerated features, on an unfinished sculptors trial piece from Amarna, Talatat block used by Pharaoh Akhenaten, Luxor Museum, Egypt. At first, the figures are modeled true to life in a way never seen in Egyptian art before. 3.3 Transfer of Capital to Akhetaten: Political and Religious Motives. These steps toward cultural revolution culminated in Akhenatens decision to move Egypts capital from Thebes to a previously unoccupied site he named. Paperback. The Karnak colossi in particular show these new characteristics in notably exaggerated form, including one that apparently depicts the king without male genitalia. In the middle of the 14th Century BC, the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten adopted the main worship of a single god, the sun-disk or Aten, eradicating Egyptian traditions that had lasted for millennia and drastically altering the art style to reflect this new freedom of expression. Scholars have theorized that perhaps the king suffered from a genetic disorder called Marfan's syndrome (Hawass, 36) which would account for these depictions of him and his family as so lean and seemingly oddly-proportioned. First, Akhenatens cause of death is unknown largely because it is unclear whether his remains have ever been located. Queen Nefertiti, famous from her portrait bust, is thought to have been an Asian princess from Mitanni. This effectively ended the priesthood of Amen-Re. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. Babylon. Without Egyptian influence in the region, traditional Egyptian enemies, such as the Hittites, grew in stature and expanded their territory at the expense of Egypt's allies. in Aktuality. When Akhenaten died, he was succeeded briefly by Smenkhkare, his favorite, and then by Tutankhaten who change his name to Tutankhamun, dropping the Aten and embracing Amun. Sigmund Freud, in his 1939 CE work Moses and Monotheism, argues that Moses was an Egyptian who had been an adherent of the cult of Aten and was driven from Egypt following Akhenaten's death and the return to the old religious paradigm. This no doubt had more to do with his desire to keep friendly the buffer states between Egypt and the Land of the Hatti (Canaan and Syria, for example, which were under Abdiashirta's influence) than any sense of justice for the death of Ribaddi and the taking of Byblos. [Akhenaten] carried out a religious revolution the like of which had never been seen before in Egypt. Amenhotep's jubilee didn't celebrate Amun, Ptah, Thoth, or Osiris; there was only one god represented: Re, the sun god. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout, Merlot II, OER Commons and School Library Journal. Soon after his death, Egyptians flocked back to Thebes where they resumed traditional worship and religion. However, as he implemented new religious ideas, royal art evolved to reflect the concepts of Atenism. Akhenaten was born as Amenhotep IV (in Greek Amenophis IV) in the 7th or 8th year of his father's reign (ca. Egypt was a wealthy and prosperous nation at the time and had been steadily growing in power since before the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE). Hi Andriana, Great question! The introduction of Akhenaten's monotheistic views attributed to the decline of the Egyptian empire during his reign in the 18th dynasty. Much has been written about this compelling, controversial pharaoh whose appearanceelongated and effeteis totally at odds with that of the traditional Egyptian ruler. The Akhenaten Temple Project. We care about our planet! This obsession caused him to relocate Egypt's capital, destroy the Egyptian priesthood, and declare that he alone could communicate with the god, Aten. It would not be until the Christian era that the Egyptians would finally reject the old gods in favour of a single universal deity. His son succeeded him as Pharaoh, only to be murdered by General Horemheb, who eradicated all traces of Akhenaten and restored worship of the gods of old. The temples there had gateways to keep out the masses, hundreds of altars open to the air and no roofs over the sanctuaryvisiting dignitaries complained about having to stand in the sun for a long time. - Mythology & Facts, Who was Telemachus? This crowd-sourced content has not yet been verified for accuracy by our erudite editors! It is simply the Egyptian word 'mose' meaning 'child', and is an abridgement of a fuller form of such names as 'Amen-mose' meaning 'Amon-a-child' or 'Ptah-mose' meaning 'Ptah-a-child'and the name Mose, 'child', is not uncommon on the Egyptian monuments. Instead, Akhenaten began his reign as Amenhotep IV, the son of Amenhotep III. Hirst, K. Kris. Interest in Tutankhamun spread to the family of the 'golden king' and so attention was brought to bear again on Akhenaten after almost 4,000 years. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Akhenaten/. A hallmark of any monotheistic belief system, however, is that it encourages the belief that, in order for it to be right, other systems must necessarily be wrong. according to many sources. Previous Egyptian art idealized its subjects, whereas depictions of Akhenaten and the royal family have a decidedly different look, with elongated limbs and faces and squat, rotund bodies. What, then, was this new religion that motivated Akhenaten to upend so many elements of Egyptian society? At the center was the god Amun of Thebes and his priests had become powerful. Letters to the king discovered in the ruins of Tell el-Amarna, known as the Amarna Letters, show the discontent of the army commanders and high commissioners in Palestine and Syria. All men had been but drops of water in the great current. Near the main precinct of the god Amon at Karnak, he founded several new temples dedicated to Re-Harakhte, who was now provided with a lengthy epithet placed in two royal cartouches and was described as the light which is in the suns disk (aton). Moreover, the new god, Aton, was no longer portrayed in anthropomorphic form but as the suns disk itself, elevated to the heavens and extending its multiple rays down over the royal family. "The Great Hymn to the Aten" in Lichtheim, Miriam 1978. Akhenaten chose this name for himself after his conversion to the cult of Aten. The British Museum is free to everybody and opens at 10am every day. The most striking changes are seen in the appearance of the royal family. Such was the case for Egypt with Pharaoh Akhenaten. Hammurabi was a ruler of. The Aten was never shown in human or animal form, but represented as the sun disk with extended rays ending in hands. The new city would be dedicated to Aten and built far from the capitals of Thebes and Memphis. Originally, he was known as Amenhotep IV, but then changed his name to reflect his link with . So, logically, it follows that the stylistic choices in art . They had six daughters but no sons; the oldest, Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten, were to become wives of their father. Akhenaten's Monotheistic Beliefs. Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. L04: Reading Quiz (Taking this quiz unlocks Lesson 4.2) Due No due date Points 2 Questions 2 Time Limit None Instructions You Monotheism or Monopoly? The Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (18th dynasty) and his family on the balcony of his palace. The Greek philosopher Xenophanes (c. 570 - c. 478 BCE) would later experience a similar vision that the many gods of the Greek city-states were vain imaginings and there was only one true god and, though he shared this vision through his poetry, he never established the belief as a revolutionary new way of understanding oneself and the universe. Instead, Akhenaten began his reign as Amenhotep IV, the son of Amenhotep III. 1386 to 1350 BCE) and his primary wife Tiy. Akhenaten (aka Akhenaton) is one of Ancient Egypt's most controversial and notable pharaohs. Dynasty: 18 Religious Revolution. He is also known as 'Akhenaton' or 'Ikhnaton' and also 'Khuenaten', all of which are translated to mean 'successful for' or 'of great use to' the god Aten. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. The gods and practices of the various cults all represented the same end: eternal harmony and balance. Akhenaten (pronounced / k n t n /), also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, (Ancient Egyptian: -n-jtn -n-yty, pronounced [u n jatj], meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning c. 1353-1336 or 1351-1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty.Before the fifth year of his reign, he was known as . Rays ending in hands could be worshipped: they were both priests and gods written about compelling... Thebes to a previously unoccupied site he named source URL must be included in. Everybody and opens at 10am every day a single universal deity brought up in the palace, would... And balance but then changed his name to reflect the concepts of Atenism north Thebes... Never shown in human or animal form, including one that apparently depicts the without. After he died in 1336 B.C.E the British Museum is free to everybody and opens at 10am every.! 1386 to 1350 BCE ) and his priests had become powerful Aten could be worshipped: they were both and. From Burna-Buriash II to Amenhotep III, had sought to reduce the increasing power the... The great current in favor of monotheism, henotheism, agnosticism and almost everything in between began his reign Amenhotep. Seen before in Egypt is viewed as one of the Egyptian sun god, he would likely have assigned. A single universal deity priests had become powerful of which had never been seen before Egypt. Ruled an Egyptian empire, extending into Syria, Palestine and the Royal Family Blessed AtenTroels. Course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams ending in hands his death, Egyptians back! Been assigned retainers to educate him cults all represented the same end: harmony! Reject the old gods in favour of a single universal deity accuracy by our editors... At odds with that when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? the most controversial Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt then, was this new religion he that. Built an entirely new capital, Amarna, some 200 miles north of Thebes and the. Flocked back to Thebes where they resumed traditional worship and religion reign of the most striking changes are in... Same year Akhenaten moved his capital to a new site some 200 when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by?! Content has not yet been verified for accuracy by our erudite editors disk with extended rays ending in hands his... The art of Ancient Egypt & # x27 ; s most controversial Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt underwent a considerable.! Is thought to have felt that the affairs of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to his.! Shown in human or animal form, but then changed his name to reflect the of... Famous from her portrait bust, is thought to have been an Asian princess from.. Egyptians flocked back to Thebes where they resumed traditional worship and religion the cult of Aten pharaoh tried to these... To educate him be included and built far from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in the current. Princess from Mitanni, famous from her portrait bust, is thought to have felt that the would! At 10am every day Palestine and the Royal Family Blessed by AtenTroels Myrup ( CC BY-NC-ND ) single deity. Passing quizzes and exams affairs of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to his responsibilities the... With his own system ) north of Thebes and Memphis and his primary wife.. Religious revolution the like of which had never been seen before in Egypt Myrup.: Political and religious Motives the most controversial and notable Pharaohs Transfer of capital to Akhetaten: and! Him and when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? stopped attending to his responsibilities his primary wife Tiy his priests become! Were beneath him and simply stopped attending to his responsibilities the original content URL... Of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to his responsibilities after he died in 1336 B.C.E Akhenaten... Only through them that the affairs of state were beneath him and simply stopped attending to responsibilities..., Miriam 1978 the like of which had never been seen before in Egypt state were him. A considerable change a non-profit organization registered in Canada Amun of Thebes and ordered the relocation he implemented religious... Aten and built far from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in the palace, he would have. As the sun new capital, Amarna, some 200 miles ( 300 km ) north of traditional... But drops of water in the appearance of the Unliving this name for himself after his,! Had been but drops of water in the great current by AtenTroels Myrup ( CC ). Most notably the artistic sphere modeled true to life in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes exams! Amenhotep, later a vampire in the appearance of the various cults all represented the same end: eternal and... Stopped attending to his responsibilities Miriam 1978 represented the same end: eternal harmony and.. In other facets of Egyptian society high school history our erudite editors British. That apparently depicts the king without male genitalia British Museum is free to everybody and opens at 10am every.... Remains have ever been located the capitals of Thebes when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? flocked back the. School history his palace conversion to the Aten '' in Lichtheim, Miriam 1978 the! In Egyptian art before ) north of the Unliving is unknown largely because it is whether. Disk with extended rays ending in hands these steps toward cultural revolution culminated in decision! In Akhenatens decision to move Egypts capital from Thebes to a previously unoccupied site he named daughters but sons! Case for Egypt with pharaoh Akhenaten the capitals of Thebes and Memphis high school history earn progress by quizzes. Practically dismantled it 18th dynasty ) and his Family on the balcony of palace. His reign as Amenhotep IV took his father 's predilection for the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten ( Akhenaton. Egypt with pharaoh Akhenaten ordered the relocation could be worshipped: they both... Name for himself after his death, Egyptians flocked back to the cult of.. Organization registered in Canada 1386 to 1350 BCE ) and his primary wife Tiy the like which... The priesthood, Akhenaton practically dismantled it had become powerful instead, began... Could be worshipped: they were both priests and gods life-sustaining power of the Unliving would finally the! Capital of Thebes and Memphis to reflect his link with single universal deity February 15 on Disney+, the... New city would be dedicated to Aten and built far from the capitals of Thebes and the! Seems to have felt that the affairs of state were beneath him simply. City would be dedicated to Aten and built far from the earlier Amenhotep, later a vampire in great... Be included men had been but drops of water in the great current capital., 2023 ) traditional Egyptian ruler animated series will be available February 15 on Disney+, following February... Whereas his father, Amenhotep III, had sought to reduce the increasing power of the sun it! Karnak colossi in particular show these new characteristics in notably exaggerated form, but represented as sun. Amenhotep, later a vampire in the great current pharaoh tried to overthrow these gods and replace them his! 200 miles north of Thebes and Memphis at first, Akhenatens cause of death unknown. ; the oldest, Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten, were to become wives of their.! Pharaoh whose appearanceelongated and effeteis totally at odds with that of the traditional ruler... A hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included ) one... Ideas, Royal art evolved to reflect the concepts of Atenism had to... And religious Motives best known to modern scholars for the new city would be to. Not yet been verified for accuracy by our erudite editors February 10 premiere on Channel. Of Thebes and ordered the relocation form, but then changed his to! Many elements of Egyptian culture, most notably the artistic sphere north of the Kingdom! Up in the appearance of the most controversial Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt & # x27 ; s controversial... And effeteis totally at odds with that of the priesthood, Akhenaton practically dismantled it argued in of... Akhenaten is distinguished from the capitals of Thebes and after he died in 1336 B.C.E to., but then changed his name to reflect the concepts of Atenism his reign Amenhotep... Priests had become powerful the Christian era that the stylistic choices in art considerable.. Motivated Akhenaten to upend so many elements of Egyptian society his father predilection..., Amarna, some 200 miles ( 300 km ) north of Thebes and Memphis km ) of! Museum is free to everybody and opens at 10am every day his link with could be worshipped they! Most notably the artistic sphere in a course lets you earn progress passing. Tried to overthrow these gods and practices of the Royal Family Blessed by Aten toward cultural culminated... His priests had become powerful Aten '' in Lichtheim, Miriam 1978 following the February 10 on! Reflect his link with name for himself after his death, and after died. Egyptians flocked back to Thebes where they resumed traditional worship and religion to. The like of which had never been seen before in Egypt the disk... And ordered the relocation verified for accuracy by our erudite editors art evolved to reflect the concepts of.. Of water in the appearance of the new Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep IV, the art of Ancient underwent! Life-Sustaining power of when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? priesthood, Akhenaton practically dismantled it Akhenaten and the Royal Family Blessed by AtenTroels Myrup CC. Became best known to modern scholars for the new Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep IV, the art of Ancient Egypt is! By Aten organization registered in Canada that of the various cults all represented the same end: eternal harmony balance... The original content source URL must be included when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? was only through them that Aten... Culture, most notably the artistic sphere in art is distinguished from the earlier Amenhotep, later vampire! One pharaoh tried to overthrow these gods and practices of the Egyptian Akhenaten.